CHICAGO, March 24, 2026 - Starbucks on Tuesday announced a major reorganization of its licensed business, the thousands of coffee shops operating in hospitals, airports, grocery stores, college campuses and more.
The Seattle-based coffee giant said in a news release penned by Aaron Koransky, SVP of Starbucks’ U.S. Licensed Coffeehouse Business, that it is shifting from a regional organizational model to a segment-focused approach to better “support licensees based on how their environments actually operate.”
“A Starbucks in a hospital, a grocery store or an airport face very different realities,” Koransky wrote. “This structure gives us clearer focus, more relevant support and a stronger foundation to grow in high-potential segments like travel, healthcare and campuses. It also positions us to expand into new segments and evolve our formats and capabilities, bringing the Starbucks experience to life across more customer routines and environments.”
Nearly half (48%) of Starbucks’ 41,118 global store locations as of the end of 2025 were licensed. In North America, Starbucks had more than 7,200 licensed stores at the end of last year.
Starbucks locations in airports, which frequently draw long lines, are a key area of focus under the new organizational model. Airport locations will be bolstered by technology that gives travelers more ways to order, Koransky said, though he did not share details about what the upgrade would entail.
“Whether customers order ahead, order digitally, or order at the counter, the result should feel familiar, fast and unmistakably Starbucks,” he said.
Starbucks is tackling the reorganization via a multi-pronged approach.
New initiatives include licensee-specific operational support, updated performance-based incentives and joint business plans and shared innovation investments between Starbucks and its licensed partners.
The reworked program also includes “greater sourcing flexibility” and a “rightsizing” of products and equipment tailored to the segments served by Starbucks licensees, Koransky noted.
For consumers, the moves should create greater consistency across Starbucks locations, more ways to order and a smoother experience, particularly in airports, the company said.
The reorganization of the licensed business is just one of the many changes undertaken at Starbucks since Brian Niccol took over as CEO in September 2024.
Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy helped stem the same-store sales slide that had plagued the coffee chain for nearly two years, with a focus on returning to in-store hospitality following the pandemic.
As of its most-recent reporting period, Starbucks said U.S. same-store sales rose 4%, driven mostly by traffic growth.
Heather Lalley is the director of communications for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. A lifelong journalist, Lalley has previously worked with industry publications including Restaurant Business, CSP Daily News, Supermarket News and Foodservice Director.